How to Look for Quality Job Applicants

Hiring candidates is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenges for any company. And it’s not just going through resumes and interviewing applicants. In a lot of cases, a candidate may look good on paper, but he or she might not turn out to be a good fit for the company. Similarly, you might have difficulty finding an application with the skill set you’re looking for.

So, if you want quality job applicants, here are some things you can do:

Filter Out Resumes Daily

Thousands of people upload their resumes on sites like LinkedIn & Indeed every day, which means every day you have an opportunity to find capable and talented individuals who would make a great addition to your organization.

So, make sure you keep an eye out on such job search sites and set up an alert so that you are informed when there’s a candidate who matches your criteria. Once you have a few resumes set aside, review them and, if they meet your needs, do pre employment screening, and set up an interview!

Don’t Neglect EQ

HR professionals and interviewers know that they want technical talent. And for that, they rely on the metrics and content mentioned in resumes that prove individuals have the talent and skills needed for the job. But they often neglect EQ or emotional intelligence. This can be detrimental, especially because they lack of EQ can really bring down your business.

Find Someone Within the Organization

Apart from looking for qualified individuals outside the company, you might also look for employees internally. If a current employee is looking for a promotion or change that might fit well in the role you have available, consider hiring them. A plus point, in this case, is that you already know the person’s experience and strengths, and they’re already familiar with your company, so they don’t need as much training as a new person.

Ask Your Best Employees for Referrals

In many cases, high-quality employees know individuals of the same caliber. So, gather your top-performing employees based on customer surveys, employee engagement, and performance reviews. Then, inform them of the kind of applicant you’re interested in, along with the values and traits most important to you. You’re sure to find someone great this way!

Don’t Neglect Inexperienced Candidates

Don’t skip out on applicants if they don’t have a lot of experience. You might be surprised at how well they fit in your company, especially if they have the traits and soft skills you value most! Unless the job opening is for a role that specifically requires experience, like a management role, there’s no reason for you to not consider fresh graduates looking for a new job or those wanting to make a career switch.  

Provide Learning Opportunities

Make sure you offer a plethora of learning opportunities. When you train and nurture your staff and give them enough room to grow, quality applicants will consider the position as more than just a job. With such a company culture, more and more applicants will be interested in working at a place that allows them to enhance their skills.

Make Sure to Have an Easy Application Process

Re-evaluate your current application process. A time-consuming and glitchy applicant tracking system almost always results in frustrated applicants and leaves them with a poor impression of the company. So make sure you have a smooth application process, where all candidates hear back from you.

The Bottom Line

Of course, choosing quality candidates is essential for your business to grow, but finding employees with the qualities and skills you want can be difficult. But with the tips mentioned above, you can easily find a few quality applicants that fit the job role and the company culture!

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